Activity Cards

In the lead-up and during the first part of the game, we will be using the classroom activity cards below. These may be viewed, printed or downloaded as needed.

The activity cards cover 10 topics related to water and the environment and through your investigations you should come to some basic understanding of each. You will be asked to share your work with the rest of the class so make sure it is easily read and is ALL your own work.

Accidents activity card

Spills of many kinds can be villains
A spill can occur along distance from the site it affects. Pollutants are carried in the water and may reach the groundwater.
Some spills can be difficult or impossible to clean up.

accidents.pdf

Flow, silt and sediment activity card

Dams and other artifical changes (irrigation) to the river change the flow.
The flow affects the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water.
Flooding can be beneficial to a river system.
Soils and silts cause changes to the depth and flow of the water, which in turn affects the temperature and the fishe' ability to breathe.

flow.pdf

Land use activity card

Human activity affects water quality.
Pollutants direvtly emptied into the water system can be generated by factories, sweage, abbattoirs and so on.
Chemicals and other run-off can enter the water system in indirect ways.
Cleared land and overgrazed land will allow sediment to wash into waterways.
Recreation, dams and transport affect water quality

land_use.pdf

Nutrients activity card

Nutrients from run-off, chemical fertilisers and sewage cause an increase in plant and algae in rivers
Water temperature is raised, flow is lowered, oxygen is lowered.

nutrients.pdf

Run-off activity card

Run-off is the rain that is neither absorbed by the ground nor evaporated.
Run-off can carry with it all the loose materials in the catchment, washing soil, fertilisers and pesticides into the waterways.

runoff.pdf

Salinty activity card

The level of salts and minerals in the water is affected by the rising water table.
Land clearing and irrigation (inclusing domestic lawn watering) create high water tables and high salinity.
Salinity affects agriculture.

salinity.pdf

Climate change activity card

Climate change can affect vegetation and habitats.
Climate change can change the flora and fauna.
Human activity can contribute to climate change.

climate_change.pdf

Stormwater activity cards

Stormwater systems carry litter and other residential rubbish, which can wash down gutters and drains.
Sewerage systems can overload into the stormwater system.

stormwater.pdf

Vegetation activity cards

Trees and plants play a vital role in the health of our waterways
Removing trees allows more water to reach the groundwater system.
Vegetation protects the fragile river banks from collapsing and forms a buffer between land and the waterway.
Plants in and around the water provide habitats for animals, as well as shading the river and slowing the flow.

vegetation.pdf

Water temperature activity cards

Cold water holds more oxygen.
Warm water results in the growth of plants and algae.
Turbid (mudd) water heats up more quickly than clear water.
Cutting trees along river banks raises water temperature.

water_temp.pdf